Drought relief in Kenya

In February, the Kenyan government declared the ongoing severe drought a national disaster. After long periods of sporadic rains, especially in the north of the country, some 2.7 million people have had their food supply cut short and now face starvation, making them heavily dependent on food aid. The biting drought is also affecting thousands of animals. The livelihoods of the semi-nomads living in the north of Kenya are also threated because they depend on livstock for food and income. The food shortage which has arised as a result of the drought disaster particularly affects children in the region. More than half of all children under the age of 5 are undernourished. Malnutrition has an impact on the development of children, on their ability to learn and thus on the development of Kenya.

Illeret is a district in Marsabit, an arid county in northern Kenya, which has seen very low rainfall in the past 18 months. Water tanks have become empty, grasses have hardly grown here. With livestock dying, milk production is low, and productivity has declined.

Sheep and goats serve as primary livelihood and food source for most people in Illeret. Due to devasted grazing pastures, these animals have lost their value and are increasingly becoming liabilities to their owners, making it impossible to sell them off.